Life Is Strange: Try Again?
by DeltaSandman
Summary: A floating city torn by civil war is about to reach to come to a close. For the VORTEX forces, their greatest weapon isn't training or tactics, it's about predicting what move their enemies will make. And thanks to one eccentric fighter, the VORTEX hold that secret weapon.


**Heyo!**

**So this fanfic is a retry of a fanfic I made a few years ago called The Deer Butterfly and The Wolf. It has the same characters, but with a different plot and a darker protagonist. **

**Do keep in mind that there will be several anime references throughout this fanfiction and I do not own any of these animes nor Life is Strange. However, I will be reference them at the end of each chapter. **

**This chapter went through serious writers block, rewriting, and editing and all that jazz, so I hope you guys enjoy it. **

* * *

The MRT ride was mostly quiet as several passengers anxiously await their only spot. One thought is one a lot of their minds right now, but none of them openly admit it. Most of them will be dead before the day is done.

The passengers, heavily armed with scavenged and makeshift firearms, are engulfed in humid sweat, worn stained clothes, and grim looks on their faces. Some of them are fresh and either look nervous or hopeful.

One passenger, a young woman of short stature, adorned with a grey hoodie, her favorite pistol, and a makeshift knife, seats far away from the rest of everyone else with buds in her ears. Her mind is in a more content state as she listens to her favorite music with a timeless synth theme to it.

She glances out the window to see one of the many pristine platforms of the floating city. Judging by the smoke from the ground and into the greying sky, the fighting is dying down or has stopped with her side as the likely victors. That's been somewhat of a theme going on with them this week, winning a six-month-long civil war.

One of the Renegades calls out in glee when she sees one of their makeshift boats dropping off their friends along with women and children.

There are scattered cheers throughout the column. It did the trick in boosting morale.

The young woman with her music stretches a small grin.

_Looks like those people got a much-needed upgrade in housing. _

She bows her head back down, replaying her favorite song for the hundredth time. As the synth music restarts, she pulls out her pistol and holds it close to her chest gripping it tightly. The metal exterior of the weapon brings a small comfort to her heart.

_Cross my heart and hope not to die. Again. _

She can feel the MRT slowing down, which gets her heart racing. She hops out of her seat and joins the rest of the Renegades while a disembodied female voice announces their destination.

_"Sumset Plaza. Please wait until the doors open." _

Renegades right and left started emerging from their seats with their weapons ready. There is some chatter but a senior fighter is barking out instructions to check their safeties and form up.

The woman with the hoodie countermands almost all his orders. "Yeeeeeaaaah... you can ignore him, kiddies. You wanna live? Hit da mothaflippin' floor, then run for edge for cover."

"Hey!" The senior fighter snaps at her, shoving fighters out of the way making his way towards the woman. "The hell are you doing? All of a sudden you want to FUCKING lead the charge when all you were doing was s-"

An ear-piercing pop rings throughout the MRT as the blockheaded man with a short beard falls to the floor with a small hole in his head. Everyone in alarmed shock gazes over to the woman who lowers her pistol and lets out a sigh.

"Okay... deep breath in... breathe out." She mutters inhaling and exhaling before looking up at the rest of the Renegade fighters. "Oh fuck all yall! You were all thinking it, I just did it!"

She receives some intimidating looks followed by a few scowls, but no one challenges her.

The woman rolls her eyes and sighs. "Okay, kiddies, two rules: 1: If you have to die, make it awesome! Two: Anyone who tries to stop me, fights me, or annoys me, get's their mothaflippin' brains buhLOWN out!" She picks up the dead man's semi-automatic pistol crouches low next to the door. "Other than that! Have fun!" She finishes 'Have fun' with an unstable sing-song voice.

"Are you always this much of an asshole?!" A woman's voice shouts out furiously.

In response, the woman randomly blows a kiss. "Oh, Tiff, keep that anger up!" She responds to the stranger. "Really turning me on, girl!"

"Yo! I think I see a drone right outside!" One of the fighters calls out.

Everyone except the young woman looks shocked.

"You kidding me right? Did we take this long?"

"We walking into a trap, eh?"

"Just blow the bloody piece of shit up and we'll all go home!"

The woman stays silent and spots the pillar she'll sprint to.

_Now the fun part!_

_"Doors are now opening."_

The second the doors slide open, a whiz of bullets sweeps through the MRT. Several VORTEX fighters fall to the ground motionless, some with the ominous wide glares on their faces. Everyone is shouting indiscriminately and the MRT car is thrown into chaos.

Thankfully, she's prepared. She counts down from three before leaping from her spot and sprinting towards the pillar. Making a cartoonish _"Woop"_ sound, she gracefully slides out of the MRT and in the cover behind an eroding pillar just as incoming bullets graze her shoulder.

She breathes sharply through her teeth before peeping out at the drones hovering in the air. Their precise shooting is gunning down many VORTEX in the MRT. A few lucky souls manage to scramble out and find cover but the rest are trap inside. If they stay in there another minute, Security Forces will show up and it's game over.

Thankfully, for them, the young woman flawlessly executes one of the machines as it falls to the ground with a burst of sparks. One of the fighters in cover quickly takes care of another one but not before the drone takes her with it.

"HEY, geniuses! Much as I love all y'all, Will you guys please FOR ALL THAT IS FUCKING HOLY MOVE DOS ASSES!" The woman shrieks in a volatile tone.

Immediately, every VORTEX fighter bursts out of the MRT and rushing forward, shouting and roaring for a good fight. With nimble skills, the woman sprints ahead and leaps over the railing.

_One and two..._

Two Sec forces, both in loose but regimental uniforms, look up at the woman, completely off guard and easily gunned down with two shots from her pistol. She lands with a roll and sees that Sumset Plaza is right in front of her.

Nearby civilians start screaming in terror and running away, some are too frightened to even move, but the only Sec guys close by start sprinting towards her. All of them armed with semi-automatics. The woman pivots left firing at two incoming enemies.

The two blues drop dead to the floor from her pistol and semi-automatic.

_There, four..._

The two remaining blues unleash a spray of bullets at the running woman as she slides behind a glass barrier with stairs leading up the platform. Two of them shout vulgar and barbarous things to her but she remains unfazed.

"Shouldn't you save that talk for your mother?" Dot strikes back.

Little did they know that the VORTEX would soon overwhelm and overpower them.

Vicious cries are heard as the woman glances up to see VORTEX fighters nimbly leaping from the railing and down onto the unsuspecting blues. They got a few of them, but the resistance was futile as many Renegades started to brutally beat and tear apart the Sec forces. The rest just charged forward into the plaza.

_Five, six..._

The woman breaks from her cover and shoots a glance over at the mutilated bodies of her enemies.

"Free guns! The dead have guns! Get them! " She barks at the group before pressing on.

The further she entered the plaza, the more chaotic it grows. The Renegades didn't waste any time in scattering oncoming Security forces. Both sides brutally spraying each other with gunfire until almost all of them drop to the floor in a lake of blood, a sec officer is beaten to the ground before he quickly downs his attacker with his sidearm with three desperate shots, a lone Renegade skillfully sliding a makeshift plastic bomb towards an enemy squad's feet before exploding leaving behind a blood puddle plagued with body parts. She dies from enemy fire before seeing the explosion.

The civilians caught in the middle, run rampant in all directions, desperate to flee the war that's been brought to their home.

_Welcome to paradise._

Soon, the VORTEX quickly gains the upper hand in their shock and awe arrival and charge into the center of the plaza, sparing no enemy. But the day is not won yet. By the time they're in the center, Security Forces will be dug in and the choppers will massacre everyone.

Which is why they're going to need some backup to keep the odds in their favor.

Something the slightly unstable young woman needs to accomplish very soon.

A blood raging roar alerts her of incoming danger, and the woman looks to see a blue charging at her with a raised shock baton. She skillfully rams into him and manipulates his body weight to lift him over her back. His life will end soon with a quick stab to his carotid artery in his neck.

_Seven..._

She knows she can't stay in this bloodbath for long. She needs to get out of the plaza and straight for the main tower. That's where her target will be waiting.

An eruption bellows in the sky as rain begins falling to the ground, it's thick freezing drops stinging her skin.

_Let's see if I can beat the clock this time! _

Retracing her steps through the chaos, she quickly spots a rather lavish building up a small organic walkway that shows signs of erosion. She wastes no time popping a spike grenade at top as four enemies take cover behind pillars.

Their lives are cut painfully short with the burst of the grenade and crimson red needles flying all over.

_Eight, nine, ten, eleven..._

She races up the walkway ignoring the gruesome sight of the dead and into the building. She enters into the main floor that's designed in the most sterile and organic style ever. Decor and furniture dot the corridor with peaceful ambiance music flowing through the air.

_So far so good. Now, just gotta move, kill a few bad guys, watch out for the last guy and unlock the canal. There's NO way I can screw this up this time!_

_"Dot! What's your location?"_

Her earplugs allow a woman's voice to ring her eardrums.

"District C.C." She responds back slightly irritated.

_"And your status?" _

Dot rolls her eyes. "Ever enjoyed peace and quiet in a big hall before?"

She starts moving down the corridor with her pistol ready. She knows there's company up ahead.

_"Stop fucking around! Two choppers are do-"_

"Doing strafing runs, UGH! You're a broken record, girl!" She replies in a sassy tone. "Just keep your head down! You die on me, and I will be veeewy sad!"

"You ha-"

Dot disconnects the line and lines up against the wall. She can barely hear the rapid shuffling of footwear beating against the floor. As the footsteps grow louder, Dot crouches into a ball with a spike grenade out to her side. She needs to time her throw just at the right moment to get the six guys caught in the blast.

Sensing they were close enough, she lets out a quiet "woop" as she tosses her agonizing weapon down the hall. She hits the floor and shields her head with her hands.

She hears her grenade being scooped up by the enemy and one of them wonders what he's holding.

"Drop it!" A voice screams. "Throw i-"

The ground rumbles as Dot's grenade goes off.

_Seventeen. Man those things are OP._

Dot wastes no time rising to her feet and casually peeks down the hall and is somewhat shocked by the gory mess she has created.

"Jesus Christ!" She exclaims, letting out a shaky laugh. "High-quality brutality!"

She races down the but not before fishing up a rifle from a crimson puddle.

_Not the most accurate, but she won't and good for spraying bad guys._

_"D Wing! What was that noise? D Wing, this is Ace Actual, I'm hoping you blew up some VORTEX?"_

Dot smirks as she picks up the bloodsoaked earpiece close to the body of a dead officer and carelessly jams it into her ear to make sure it doesn't slip out.

She hurries down the hall, leaving behind crimson footprints.

_"Shit..." _The voice matters. _"C Wing, give me some good news!"_

_"Does it count if it's good news for the enemy?" _

Dot chuckles at the more gruff voice over the comms. She hears the roaring blades of the chopper overhead, giving her an adrenaline rush to keep moving.

_"So, I'm guessing you're in some shit?" _

_"I just saw these assholes overrun the first perimeter! It's a fucking blood bath down here! Thank god for that fucking chopper, mate!" _

_Not for long._

She finally makes her way to an automated glass door and she can catch a glimpse of several officers heavily armed and slightly on edge. None of them notice her, however.

Dot catches their commander and the man who's been on the comms with the other squad. He's a tall lanky man with unkempt hair threatening to cover his hazel eyes. He wears colorless body armor with no sleeves, revealing an intimidating tiger tattoo on his left arm. Dot even notices small details she didn't pick up last time, such as a missing index finger and a small scar on his nose. Both look fresh.

Knowing she's bound to breach the door soon, Dot throws out the bloody earpiece and jams her earbuds into her ears. She quickly shuffles through her playlist looking something to get that much-needed adrenaline rush for the upcoming fight. She quickly and proudly chooses a vintage classic from a classic anime.

**_Venit aevus ille_**

**_O Messiah, O Messiah_**

With her rifle locked and loaded, Dot crouches near the glass door giving it a light touch to keep herself undetected before quickly discarding stored tear gas into the room. She darts her head down muttering the pattern to herself.

She nearly forgets her thoughts when someone shouts out, "TEAR GAS!"

"We're under attack!"

"Masks! Where are the fucking *cough*"

"Hold fire! Hold your fire!"

**_Yuduliya-Vele_**

**_Yuduliya-Vele_**

**_Yuduliya-Vele_**

**_Yuduliya Iyaliya_**

Disregarding her safety from the gas, Dot takes in a deep breath, holding it in. She wastes no time in her pre-emptive strike by slashing the throat of the Blue in front of her before plunging her knife into another one by the console.

**_Feel it drawing nearer, an endless fear that takes you hold_**

Dot dashes for her next victim and brutally locks the officer's behind his back, jerking it up to his scapula to the point there's a painful snap. He howls in agony, powerless to resist while his allies are still stunned by the tear gas.

**_Feel it getting closer, revealing such an evil soul_**

With her captive as a meat shield, Dot indiscriminately sprays the room with bullets, as she mows down most of the enemies. The remaining few quickly drop to cover and returned fire. Her human shield took the brunt of the bullets as she slides behind a nearby disk carelessly abandoning her rifle.

**_I can't surrender at the turning point of destiny_**

**_Right now it's do or die; my life is on the line and I will not flee_**

She discards her bloody corpse shield and slides behind cover. With her knife and pistol in both of her hands, Dot takes the initiative in this smoky game of Cat and Mouse. Luckily for her, after much trial and error, she's the cat and the blues are the mice.

_**By my power**_

_**WHOA-WHOA**_

**_It's clear to me_**

**_My spirit grows and I will face this demon_**

**_WHOA-WHOA, with burning energy_**

She easily tracks the two remaining security forces and decides to tease them with a cheerful, "DOKI DOKI!"

The female officer cries out in terror and quickly twirls to shoot Dot with her pistol. A vain attempt as Dot catches her wrist and violently twists it.

"CRITICAL HIT!"

She brutally slams her woman's head against the sharp end of the table, incapacitating her.

**_The day of fate has fin'ly come_**

"Nessie!" The lone security soldier staggers back, muttering in shock at the sight of his dead comrade. "Ah- shit!"

He recovers from the shock and attempts to quickdraw his pistol, but Dot beats him to it with a knife to his gut.

"Nessie?" Dot echoes the name of the fallen officer. "Isn't that, like, some ancient monster on something?"

He grunts in pain, but still holds his weapon and fires. A vain attempt as Dot rams the knife further into his gut, knocking him to the ground in a tangled fetal position.

Dot smartly kicks his only weapon away from his reach. "Be a good boy and stay still for mama, won't you?"

_**Fee-**_

Dot pauses her adrenaline rushing song and rushes to the main console. She easily navigates the touchscreen keyboard and feels a subtle buzz on her fingers every time she makes contact with its smooth bloodstained surface.

_**"Security Override." **_A smooth English feminine voice echoes through the room. _**"Canal Sumset is now open."**_

"Impossible... the override..." The ragged words of the sole survivor catches Dot's attention. "How did you get override access?"

Dot gives him a sour scowl and marches over to the man, brutally kicking him in his face. "Uh uh uh! Someone's been naughty!"

The lone enemy spits out huge drops of blood. "Fuck you, Rafter! How many innocents have to suffer for this? How many more of us have to die?!"

Dot crouches down to his level and seizes him by his throat. "Bitch please... you think you're suffering right now?" Her grip drastically increases, now choking him. The security officer weakly counters her choking hold by futilely pulling off her hand. The life in his eyes vanishes as his hand goes limp and his head tilts to the side. "Try dying in fifty million ways." She finishes before throwing the corpse back to the floor.

_Thirty... __Wow... That's something to get drunk over..._

Hoping that her actions have made a difference, Dot rushes back to the main console, glancing up the several flatscreen monitors. She feels a tight pressure finally subsiding in her heart as speed boats race down the canal packing heat and much need reinforcements. She can see suicide drones zipping from the boats and towards the choppers. Evasive maneuvers proved futile as the zooming drones erupted catching the helicopters in a raging inferno.

The radio chatter becomes louder and more frantic. Dot can tell that these are the terrified voices of her enemy.

_"Our position's overrun!" _

_"The evac is compromised! Maintaining defensi-"_

_"Targets! Lots of targets!" _

_"What happened to our air support?!" _

_"Multiple casualties! Garrison down-" _

_"I'm fucking swimming for it!" _

_"I got drones above us!" _

_"*Blood curdling screams*"_

_"Everyone for themselves!" _

_"We're surrounded! We're not gonna make it!"_

_"-position! My Position!"_

Dot lets out a quick breath and nods, ignoring the volatile twitching in her fingers. She mutes the panic comm channel and brings her attention to her phone, figuring she can relax and listen to her favorite synthwave music.

_Well, I got some time to kill. Might as well relax for a bit. Hmm... wonder if these guys have any freshwater on them. _

Just the thought of water reminds Dot of how parched she really is. She gargles what saliva remains in her mouth to get some fluids in the dryest parts of her throat.

_Damn, I'm thirsty. _

She decides to rummage through the dead man she stabbed in the gut. Given that he was the leader, he's bound to have the best loot.

"Aww fucking..." She grumbles, noticing that he has nothing promising. "Really, bro? Way to leave a girl hanging..." She slams the corpse back down on the floor. With a loud thud, Dot notices a blood-stained pad that popped out of his vest.

As curiosity takes hold of her, Dot fishes up the pad and taps the screen to discover they're are records of the dead man's thoughts.

**_I'm no stranger to getting rookies in my unit, but all these new faces is really unsettling. I feel like they're just here to remind me -remind us- how many we lost last week. I mean, what was supposed to be a big mass search and arrest operation turned into almost a day in hell. I don't even know how we got out alive. Some of my guys are showing their frustration and taking it out on the newbies. I obviously had to step in and remind them to put their dicks away, but that bad juju is still in the air. And being posted to Sumset is not helping. Nobody is talking to each other, no one is cracking a joke, it's just that chilling dread and numbness in the air. So, I decided to let these bastards set up defensive measures all over the fucking district. From MRT's to the command post. I've also ordered doubled patrols, random searches, anything to keep the edge off of them. Man... if only we're back in the Underground shooting fucking Rafters up. That would be so fucking therapeutic..._**

Dot chuckles. "Amen to that part. Man, I love therapy."

She carelessly tosses the pad onto a nearby table and scavenges the corpses for pure clean water. Her fortunes smile upon Dot as she successfully collects four bottles of water.

"Boo-yah!"

Wanting to enjoy the spoils of her victory, Dot carelessly downs ten huge gulps of water, rejuvenating her throat and her body, and she didn't even care how warm it was.

"Ahh..." She exhales. "Now, that's the stuff."

The ear-piercing shot lasts for a mere second before every sound falls on deaf ears. Dot's blue eyes quickly grow as wide as an anime character as she feels everything moving in bullet time now. The rush is too much, and she doesn't feel the snap-in her lower back and falling to the floor.

A pool of her own blood in engulfing her.

As time slowed, Dot feels a sudden surge of searing pain from her back. She tries to cry out in pain, but is too weak to do so. Ignoring the pain, she tries to get up, but she is incapable of moving much of her body.

"No..." She whispers in disbelief. "Nononononono..."

She tries again, angrily berating her mind to overcome this and stand on her two feet. A vain attempt as she is incapable of moving.

The only limb she's capable of controlling still is her right hand.

Dot takes a deep breath, realizing that there is only one thing to do.

But before her mobile arm could even reach underneath her sweater, Dot's peripheral vision catches two limping legs moving in a slow chilling way. However, it does not take long for a face to be revealed. Stopping close to her side, the legs of Dot's shooter kneels down, trembling in the process.

That's when Dot sees her. A woman about her age with short blonde hair, with a nasty gash in her head, staring down at the paralyzed girl with the look with murder in her hazel eyes.

She cries out in fury, brutally smiting Dot's face with her fist. "You... soulless... BITCH!" Another punishing blow to the face. "My home... my family... All gone... because of YOU! You're VORTEX fucks! ALL OF YOU! And I'm going to kill..." There is a shaky breath before continuing. "All... of... you!" The security trooper violently seizes her by her collar, shoving Dot's face dangerously close to hers. "Any last words... before I put you down like the rabid pest you are?"

That's when Dot's mind comes up with the perfect response. A response that casts all the fears and pain aside. Two words worthy of sending her out in a blaze of glory. Still in control of her right hand, she slides it underneath her sweater and sports jersey before her finger slips inside a ring.

A pin attached to a mine!

She lets out a victorious chuckle. _"Omae wa mou... Shindeiru..."_ Dot growls triumphantly.

The furious hostile contorts a puzzled expression. "What?!"

With a quick yank, and a faint click, the whole room is consumed by a raging inferno.

#*#

**Sun District**

Dot's eyes slowly flutter open to see an eroded ceiling hovering above her. The blinding lights force her to shield her eyes from the light with her left arm.

Dot's head cranes to the left to see that she's atop of a tram platform looking out into the evening skyline of the city. The storm clouds are beginning to form, but the dim orange pigment, blended with a bruising purple, still dominates the sky.

Upon the platform itself, hundreds of heavily armed VORTEX fighters clog up much of the space in the center with some stragglers relaxing dangerously close to the edge.

Upbeat electric music blares off across the platform, and several people are laughing, dancing, and just passing the time before MRT arrives.

Dot has seen this all before, nine times actually, but now it's more like ten.

Taking in a deep breath, Dot leans back down onto the ground, trying to calm herself after her last encounter.

All she has to do is wait 30 minutes. 30 minutes of waiting. 30 minutes of dealing with a huge crowd, the same music, same annoying people, and the same view.

Surely this is nothing she can't handle.

"AGGGGHHHHH!" Dot screeches like a banshee, wildly waving all of her limbs. "SON OF A MOTHERFUCKING WHORE SHITBAGS IN A FUCKING SHINGLE! WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT?!"

Several people start to stare at Dot, a few chuckle at her meltdown.

"YOU STUPID BLONDE BITCH! HOW COULD YOU BE ALIVE?! ARGH!"

Dot lets out an exaggerated growl before letting her rage and frustration subside.

"Okay... okay, Dot. Think happy thoughts. Manga, hentai, cute anime milfs from those dating sims. Especially that hot mom with the b-" She stops herself half-way realizing that her fantasy may be ruined. "And now the blonde hair is ruining the moment! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" She finally leaps to her feet feeling antsy and the need to blow off steam.

With all of the equipment in hand, Dot takes the stairs leading into the interior of the platform with several more VORTEX fighters, independent aid workers, and everyday people cramming their war through what little space they have. Dot skillfully maneuvers through the crowd trying to locate the nearest toilet.

"Just keep that image of Bulma in your mind girl." She murmurs to herself. "Just need five minutes to myself, and I'll feel much better."

Thankfully it doesn't take long for her to locate the nearest restroom. The path to it is spacious enough to make her way through.

"Please let me have some alone time. Please."

The automatic doors open to a spacious gleaming bathroom with a decaying outlook to it.

"Phew! Bulma Mama, Just need a few minutes of your time."

Dot wastes no time entering the stall farthest from the door. She loudly shuts the door, along with a click to lock it, yanks down her pants and plants the vision of one of her favorite fantasy characters in her mind.

But before she can proceed with her plans, her ears pick up the unwelcoming sound of the automatic doors opening.

Fury fumes in Dot's veins. "Oh you have to got to be fucking joking me..." She picks up her pistol, planning to scare the newcomer off. "I have a gun, and I'm resisting EVERY nerve in my body not to shoot you!"

A childish whimper is Dot's response.

Dot's frustration transitions to concern hearing the child. "What the-?"

With her pants on her waist, Dot opens to the door to see a terrified little girl, no more than six or seven, trembling before her.

The little girl has a mixture of several Pacific Ethnicities the blend her with copper skin huge sad eyes and a cute face that pulls on the heartstrings. Although it's very faint, Dot can make out her Hello Kitty shirt with the Kitty on roller skates with many of her friends.

"Okay, rage is gone." She lowers her pistol and kneels to get on the girl's level. "You gotta name, kiddo?"

The girl merely looks down at her feet, avoiding eye contact with Dot.

Dot frowns, understanding that the poor kid is uber shy. "Is it okay if I say my name?"

The girl barely looks up at Dot and gives the faintest of nods.

Dot smiles. "I'm Dot. I'm... I'm a soldier. I'm one of the good guys."

The girl appears more confidant as she cranes her head up to have her face looking at Dot's.

_I guess all I have to say is that 'I'm a good guy'. _

"Were you going to use the restroom?" Dot asks.

The girl rapidly shakes her head in a way that looks very adorable. She sheepishly extends her hands out and Dot is quick to notice that their empty plastic bags. The girl quickly points to the sinks.

"Ahh." Dot understands. "Lemme guess, mutie: You need water to drink?"

The girl nods again.

Dot shakes her head in response. "You don't want to have that water, girl. It's probably still dirty." She sets her backpack down in front of her and carefully fishes out four puffy plastic bags.

The girl gasps seeing the clean water trapped inside the bags.

"Knock yourself out, Kitty." Dot chirps. "Don't worry. I'll find more later on."

What the girl does next catches Dot off guard. For such a tiny thing, she has a powerful hug. After a quick moment, Dot returns the gesture.

"Thank you, Auntie."

"Ahh, she speaks!" Dot teases, stretching a toothy grin."

Dot responds by ruffling her hair. "Alright, you Loli. I gotta fight some bad guys soon. Get home safe."

The girl makes a happy "hmph" sound as she nods her head and the rushes out of the restroom with her bags of water in her hands. Dot, feeling a little concerned for the girl's safety follows her out. She's grateful when the girl rushes towards a teenage boy, possibly her brother, and he's amazed by how much water she's carrying. The two siblings walk away with the boy walking silly making the girl giggle.

Dot's facial muscles curve into a small smile and she can't help but let a tear run down her cheek. She quickly notices that she's crying and smudges the tear away with her arm. "Ugh..."

She then makes her way back up to the MRT platform, preparing herself for another go at winning the day.

#*#

**Pioneer Complex, Security-held territory, and HQ**

The meeting room is renowned for its dome glass interior that looks out at the untamed Pacific Ocean. A vibrant theme that cuts deep into the mundane council meetings to help manage their floating city the best they can.

Back when there was a council to help manage the city.

Captain Jaques Aubert sits in the chair on the right side of the circular glass council table with a grim look on his face.

The Commander of the city's security forces, hailing from the possibly defunct France, is a tall burly man that dresses his police uniform as if he's a distinguished military veteran. His features, though withering, display a powerful appearance with his strong jaw, a sharp greying buzz cut, and sharp eyes that are encircled behind those bags.

A man who commands the respect of his men. And given how the tide is turning, he can tell that his men are going to need him now more than ever.

But he'll need to coordinate a strategy with his superior: The Director, the man who is the acting leader of the city.

The Director is a man with a lanky stature who nonetheless composes himself in a proud and intimidating manner. He dresses in a black tank top and dark grey stylish pants. His clothes blend well with his rugged features from the feral wolf tattoos on his arms to the half-shaven black hair sporting his head.

Aubert thinks his boss looks more like a thug returning from a training session more than an actual leader, but he is grateful the Director has trusted him and his Security forces to let them act a great deal of independence.

"Sir..." Aubert's French accent breaks the uneasy silence. "My forces in Sumset Plaza have confirmed that the VORTEX terrorists have seized the majority of that sector." He turns to face a tall lanky man looking out at the ocean. "Their forces are now linked up and they have a foothold into our territory."

"How did we lose an important district?" Aubert's superior asks in a low but unsteady voice.

Aubert responds calmly. "From what I can gather, the enemy sent in Infiltration teams through the MRTs. But before we could box them in, they opened the main canals allowing for reinforcements to arrive." The Captain purses his lips. "We couldn't regain the initiative."

"Sounds like a mole got them through..." The man's fist curls into a trembling ball. "And you think pulling them back was the right call?" He turns to face the Captain with a displeased grin. "You realize that for the first time in six months, we're on the defensive against a bunch of ragtag lowlives that run amok in the slums!"

Aubert rubs his distinct curve nose with the side of his index finger. A trademark expression he randomly does. "We would have lost the district anyways, so yes." He states boldly. "Our losses have been cut and we'll need to regroup and rethink our strategy?"

Before Aubert can answer, he notices something that must be mythical to the real world. A smoothly carved glass ball slowly hovers around the head of his superior while spinning all on its own. The Captain has seen this before, but it still makes him uneasy that something out of the works of fiction can be displayed right in front of him.

He should at least be thankful it's not hurled at his head at lightning speed.

Aubert maintains his composure. "Sir, the way they attacked us, it's like they anticipated our every move! Something that's very similar to our operation last week." The Captain pauses, haunted by the staggering losses. "At first I thought VORTEX got lucky. Now... I'm starting to think they know what moves we're going to make next."

The grits his teeth. "That's one hell of a hypothesis, Captain. If that's the case... then right now... secrecy is our best weapon." He turns to fully face Aubert. "From now on, only share future plans with only your top officers. Send me a roster of the people you choose, and from now on every order and every possible deployment will be classified. Our forces will need to operate on a strict need-to-know basis."

"And... what they need to know is..." Aubert seems somewhat puzzled by what his superior wants from him.

"The orders coming from their commanders and nothing else." The man clarifies before specifying. "They'll be kept in the dark about everything. Where they're going, and where the enemy is, ect. All of that information will be trusted with you, me, and the people you trust the most."

"Sir..." Aubert starts to protest. "That sort of blackout will severely harm the men's initiative. And many of them... are not professionals."

Aubert's men, although competent, can act in a thuggish manner at times. Some of the men recruited into Security have violent and chaotic backgrounds from troubled youths to former criminals. The only thing that keeps them from returning to their former lives is because Security has provided them a purpose, and regrettably a habit of using excessive force on people who look at them funny.

"If they're going to act like thugs, Captain, then treat them like thugs." The man answers. "Make examples of them."

Aubert's eyes widen, shock at this order. "Director Diaz-"

"Jaques, stop!" The Director shouts.

There is a brief pause before the Director lets out a deep breath and continues. "You're right that the enemy may somehow know our plans before we'll even make them. So I'm taking your report and formulating a new strategy. I know a lot of your forces won't take these orders lightly, and they'll likely defect or target innocents in our districts. Until we can come up with a plan to wipe out VORTEX, order must be maintained."

Director Diaz slowly walks over to the Captain, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And without order, we won't make it."

Aubert allows those last words to be absorbed into his mind. He remembers the chaos of the old world after it was consumed by the rising tides and the destructive storms. This city, although far from perfect, is the only safe relatively stable place possibly on Earth.

And right now, it threatens to fall apart because of this foolish civil war.

Aubert nods with clarity. He knows his duty: To maintain order and protect the city.

The Director pats his shoulder. "Have that roster ready for me by the end of the day. We'll plan our next move when I have a plan in motion."

Aubert nods. "You'll have my people sooner than that."

Aubert walks out of the room, concluding their conversation. The Director lets out a frustrated growl while the floating sphere crushes by the invisible forces manipulated by him.

He exhales for a few seconds shaking his head in dismay.

_If they win... everything I have worked for... No. I'll see this plan through no matter what. I have to! For Sean... and Dad..._

He grinds his teeth, holding back the urge to cry and then he curves a content smile. "It'll be fine. You both will be fine. I promise."

A harmonious chime sounds off from the Director's wrist, snapping him out of his thoughts. He's initially displeased for this interruption, but quickly taps the black bracelet, opening up a call to his secretary.

"Lia? What's up?"

_"Director, there's a... security officer wanting to see you, sir. Uhh... she's not on your schedule, but... she says it's pretty urgent."_

The Director rolls his eyes. "Y'know I'm on a time table, Lia. Any idea who she is at least?"

_"Well... believe it or not... she says she was in the C.C. in Sumset Plaza. And she's telling me that's the reason why she's here."_

The Director's eyes widen. Now that has his attention. "What's her name?"

After a brief pause, Lia responds, _"She says her name is Vanessa Indigo."_

* * *

**References from _DBZ Abridged by TFS_, and _Fist of the North Star_, and _Doki Doki Literature Club_**

**Song was Spirit vs Spirit**

**So, in case it wasn't obvious, our protagonist, Dot has an interesting power of her own. Every time she dies, time resets and she has her memory intact. Obviously I got this inspiration from _Live Die Repeat. _And of course, we have a character we all know from a very recent game :) **


End file.
